The Informant: The Ultimate Workhorse Wood-Fired Pizza Oven

Ah, the sweet scent of spring — the season where the great outdoors beckons and the hum of backyard gatherings returns. Once that sun is shining and the final frost has retreated, it’s time to cook food outdoors. Foodies know that charred, crispy, smoked food tastes better after months of huddling over vats of soup […]

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Ah, the sweet scent of spring — the season where the great outdoors beckons and the hum of backyard gatherings returns. Once that sun is shining and the final frost has retreated, it’s time to cook food outdoors. Foodies know that charred, crispy, smoked food tastes better after months of huddling over vats of soup trying to stay warm. If you’re like my family, you’re always on the hunt for ways to expand beyond the culinary possibilities of a propane-powered set of steel grates. 

Enter: the Fontana Forni Pizza Oven.

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Earlier this month I was sent the Maestro 60 Gas Oven, a workhorse that would impress even the saltiest of Sicilian grandpas. This is large — it weighs more than 120 pounds — but it can easily fit two 10-inch pizzas. If you can find space for it in your backyard, it’s perfect for a four-person family like mine. 

Everything about this oven screams luxury. From its welded steel dome to food-grade cooking stones, this beast feels like it’s built to last. Plus, it has excellent insulation which gave me extra peace of mind with two little girls running around. One was curious about the flames, but I was less worried about her burning herself by accident if she ventured too close. 

The interior, on the other hand, can heat up to 900 degrees, safely, in less than 30 minutes. The temperature gauge on the exterior always shows a different temperature than the interior, since the stones are much closer to the flames, so we relied on an infrared thermometer to ensure the stones reached the optimal temperature of 700-750 degrees for creating mouth-watering pizza. One thing to note is that an infrared thermometer, a stand for the oven, and a pizza peel aren’t included. We purchased those separately, but I highly recommend them so you can easily insert and remove your creations and accurately gauge the temperature. 

Now, I’ll be honest — our first attempt ended with a completely charred crust even though it was in the oven for a little over a minute. My mistake was putting the cover back on, which led to a much quicker cooking process than expected. Our second attempt, with careful rotation and attention, yielded perfection in about three minutes—proof that delightful pizza nights for the family can be quick and effortless.

Its quick cook time allows for more quality time with your family. Rather than being tied to the cooking process, we can focus on perfecting pizza topping combinations and enjoying each other’s company.

You might be questioning the rationale behind investing in something exclusively designed for pizza-making. But here’s the thing: Fontana Forni Pizza Ovens are versatile wonders. While they excel at crafting Neapolitan pizzas, their capabilities extend far beyond. A quick scroll through Fontana Forni’s social channels will spark your imagination to use this oven for so much more. I personally can’t wait to test out making wings and steaks this summer. Mangia bene!